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The Mitsui & Co. Environment Fund

Introduction to Grant Projects

Yui no Kokoro (NPO)

Establishment of sustainable regional models through the employment of disabled persons and bamboo forest development

Activity grant

Project Description

The Matsu No Mi Social Welfare Corporation (hereinafter, "Matsu No Mi") is a welfare facility for disabled persons in Matsushima-machi, Miyagi Prefecture, which had to significantly reduce its contracting business as a result of the earthquake. In response to this, the project will maintain employment in the affected areas by accepting contracted work for disabled persons at Matsu No Mi consisting of packing Ideal Green soil improvement materials developed by Environment & Technology Co., Ltd. In addition, as the raw materials used for Ideal Green are bamboo after forest thinning that are considered to be an industrial waste material, use of such materials for products contributes to the environmental preservation of woodland.

Grant year
FY2012 Activity Grants
Grant term
3 years
April 2013 - March 2016
Grant amount
2,982,000 yen
Activity region
Matsushima Town, Miyagi District, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan
Ideal Green packing work

Overview of the Organization

Hitoshi Kojima, Managing Director
Representative
Hitoshi Kojima, Managing Director
Establishment year
2011
Establishment purpose
The purpose of the NPO is the development of living environments for all people including elderly people and disabled people (and children) in regions and regional revitalization based on a spirit of mutual aid that had been a part of village society in the past.
The NPO aims for the creation of communities that merge social welfare for elderly people and disabled people in order to resolve the lack of social welfare for elderly people and disabled people in regional society. Currently, the NPO offers regular visit-based nursing care services tailored to the needs of individual elderly people, and operates cultivation guidance-based rental farms for general participants.
Main activity areas
Matsushima Town, Miyagi District, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan
Number of staff members
2 full-time staff members, 6 part-time staff members, 32 full members
Annual operating budget
2.84 million yen in 2011, 13.41 million yen in 2012
Main activities
  1. Elderly day service center project
    Provision of regular visit-based nursing care and preventive care services
    Interaction among users and respite care for families through various activities including recreation, functional training, and outings*
  2. Agricultural tourism promotion project
    Serves as coordinating office for guidance-based rental farms with instructors for general users
    Participation in workshops on transition to a corporate farm business model as part of the Social Business and Corporate Cooperation Support Function Strengthening Project of the Ministry of Economic, Trade and Industry
*Respite: Support service for families conducting nursing care that offers temporary care on their behalf to give them an opportunity for refreshing themselves